Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi lose right to cross-examine witnesses in Toshakhana case

RAWALPINDI: The Toshakhana case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi took a dramatic turn on Monday as Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir terminated their right to cross-examine witnesses in the Toshakhana case.

The judge terminated the right to cross-examine witnesses on a request of the prosecution after the defense counsel failed to show up.

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the case in Adiala jail.

Imran Khan had sought to change the lawyer in the Toshakahan case, which was fiercely opposed by the prosecution.

Read more: Verdict reserved on Imran Khan’s plea in Toshakhana, £190 million cases

“This is the tenth lawyer being changed in the Toshakhana case”, National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) lawyer Amjad Pervaz told the court. “This is being done to delay case proceedings,” he said.

The NAB counsel said that the witnesses were not cross-examined by the defence counsel despite coming to the court regularly.

He said that only five witnesses have been cross-examined up till now despite the fact that the prosecution has presented 16 witnesses out of 20 witnesses.

After the argument, the judge terminated the PTI founder and his wife’s right to cross-examine the witnesses, who will now be cross-examined by the state prosecutor provided to the defendants.

Read more: Imran, Bushra indicted in Toshakhana case

Meanwhile, PTI counsel Shahbaz Khosa said that they will challenge the termination of the right to cross-examine the witnesses in the high court.

The accountability court will record statements of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at the next hearing on January 30 (tomorrow).